I’ve made a lot of bacon. On this site, you can also find my homemade bacon mastery course, which covers every way of making bacon. I’ve put a lot of thought into how you can use skin and researched different ways. I wanted to share what works best for me and some tips that could be helpful for you. For …
Exploring Dry Salt Curing Fish (salted, dried, cold smoked)
Over the decades, I’ve explored many aspects of salt curing different types of meat. I wanted to share what I’ve learned from my experiences using fish more recently since it’s a topic rarely covered. It started when I discovered Mojama, a salt-dry cured Tuna specialty from Spain. This opened up a new door to an area of curing. I’ve cured …
Drying Meat and How it Preserves It
Drying meat is one form of preservation, but there are others I’ll go through in this article. Most commonly, drying in some Asian countries is still the main method of preserving meat. In most Western countries, freezers are the main way of preserving meat. Meat Drying and Preservation To preserve meat, it is all about drying it in various ways. …
Making Authentic Mortadella at Home
Mortadella can be made at home with certain equipment; it’s quite an involved type of cooked sausage, and we’ve found it took longer than sausages or salamis in general. I definitely thought it was worth it, though! The essence of the mortadella is a delicate spiced aroma, quality meat that is emulsified without over mixing and low temperature baked, sous …
Everything You Need to Know About Cured Meats
Cured meats come in many different formats and types, so it can be hard to categorize some types of cured meats. This article covers some of the nuances and confusion commonly asked around this website, which is focused on cured meats. From my teaching, experiences, and practice across all aspects of the art and craft of cured meats, I will …
Full Detailed Review of INKBIRD ITC-308 Temperature Controller
For the important aspects of temperature control, I’ve been ‘reviewing’ the INKBIRD ITC-308 for many years now and using it to get a target temperature range. I’ve used this for charcuterie, dry cured meats, and many other temperature-controlled environment projects at home, which I’ll talk about. For about 20 years, I’ve had many hobbies (food and alcohol-based) that need a …
Wood Types for Smoking Cured Meats
I’ve used about 15 different kinds of wood to smoke-cured meats. Often, I’ve found it easier to categorize wood used for smoking into light, medium, and intense flavors. The best woods for smoking-cured meats are often found locally in abundance and sustainable. Local, Non-resin-filled, deciduous wood is often the best wood for smoking cured meats. This has been evident for …
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Curing Meat
Over the first 10 years, I was curing meat and made many mistakes. This had a lot to do with the lack of information, and I just hadn’t read the textbooks that are available nowadays. The internet was quite young in the early 2000s! Key Summary: Over the second 10 years, I practiced and learned meat curing at home and …
Frequently Asked Questions About Meat Curing
There are a lot of questions that are frequently asked about meat curing that I have to answer from this site. So I thought I would put all of these common FAQs in one article. I love to cure meat and have been doing so for many many years, I’ve been to places in Italy or America specifically just to …
How to Store Cured Meat: Tips and Tricks
The way you store cured meats does depend a lot on what style of cured meats you have. I’ve got a true passion for cured meats of all kinds, and that’s why I started this website. I buy and make my own types of cured meats of every style you can imagine across the globe. I thought it would be …
Is Cured Meat Raw? Why Does it Look Raw
It gets a little bit confusing with the cured meats and raw meats since the definition of cured meats does have a lot of variations across the globe. I’ve been lucky enough to have tasted and experienced, as well as made, many of the variations of cured meats in the traditional and modern context. I will try to give a …
Cured Meat vs Uncured Meat – Differences
Recently, I delved deeper into the realm of cured and uncured meats, and to my surprise, I discovered that the distinction between the two isn’t solely about the curing process itself. Rather, it lies in the packaging legislative aspects that govern the use of certain additives. Let’s explore this intriguing aspect further. What is the difference between uncured and cured …
Can you Cure Meat with Just Smoke?
Curing and Smoking is often seen as a similar or the same process and are often related or depending on the recipe. However, the question is – is smoking meat a type of curing? Let’s get into this in detail! I have cured all different types of meat whether it’s red meat or different types of fish. For some things …
Interesting & Unique Salami to Buy in America I’ve Found
I have seen and tried many salami styles from Italy and Spain, reproduced in America and worldwide – common variations such as Picante, Feline, Pepperoni, Genoa, and Italian styles of dry-cured meats. Undoubtedly, they are good, and some are great; however, they are still mimicking mainland Europe. For thousands of years, they have been loved across Europe -often using traditions …
Preserving Meat: The Cheapest and Most Economical Methods
The cheapest and most economic way of meat preserving is thinly sliced meat and using the sun or campfire to dry the meat. Salt should ideally be used to create another layer of protection for the meat during drying. I have been preserving meat over many years. Here I want to highlight tips for economic methods to help you from …
Ways to Preserve Meat (2 Easiest Ways)
The easiest way to preserve meat is by using the simplest methods and procedures, and this is where I will focus this article. There are many ways you can preserve meat (like canning, dry curing, etc.), however, the easiest ways tend to need the least effort and resources. I’ve often got excess farmed or wild meat, so I’ve explored all …
Ways of Preserving Meat at Home – Overview
The ways you can preserve meat at home are varied, but I’ve found there are some overlaps in the techniques, and since you can’t always rely on the freezer, Some of these other methods of preserving meat at home could help create a new passion; that’s what I’m hoping for. It started me on the journey. I’ve done much-preserving meat, …
How is Cured Meat Made?
Cured meat can be made in many different ways, this article will go into quite a bit of detail about how cured meat is made, the different ways also the types of cured meats get produced. I’ve produced every type and style of cured meats possible using salt, smoke, and acidity either in combination or individually. You’ll likely be surprised …
Excellent Worthy Thin Cut Fine Meats for a Charcuterie Board
Choosing the finest dry-cured charcuterie meat – in the Western world there are many options available. I have a deep appreciation for the traditionally made long-term production of these dry-cured meats since I also make them myself. Of course, there is a huge variation in what is available. I want to be as useful as possible and help you select …
Let’s Talk About Charcuterie That’s NOT Pork
Charcuterie meat comes in many different varieties, it’s a broad category and has various interpretations. Generally speaking, charcuterie meats are dry-cured meats like prosciutto; however, there are other types, and pork is one of the meats used. For most of the Italian and French styles of charcuterie, pork is a very important meat in the ingredients list. Even though it …